My Weekend Passport » Nightlife

Hu Jiao Bin: My First Trip to RaoHe Night Market

Alex @mwp — Sat, 09 Jan 2010 02:46:58 +0000

I love stumbling on something good. It’s like a revelation when you accidentally come across something that you should have been looking for all along. Well, this is that something. Once I took a bite of this peppered bun (hu jiao bin), I realized that this is the best thing I’ve eaten in Taipei (well, so far anyway).

I got laughed at for taking a bus cross-town all the way to NingXia Street when there’s a much bigger, famous RaoHe Street Night Market within walking distance from my Grandma’s place. So, early on a Friday evening I headed out there for some dinner, night market style.

Browsing the aisles, I saw all sorts of delicacies: Indian kabobs, Japanese okonomiyaki, grilled whole squid, beef noodle soup, oyster omelets, and the list goes on. So much food, only one stomach… what do I eat tonight?

Well, when in doubt in a new place, ALWAYS go with the longest line. Trust everyone else to know something that you don’t. So I wandered from the Western gate all the way through the entire market before I ended up at this cart just inside the Eastern gate of RaoHe Street. It easily had the longest line of the entire market, queued up at least 30 deep. I even arrived early at the opening of the night market too, around 5 PM. This MUST be good.

Really? How good could it be? I had to wonder. By the looks of things, it was another juicy meat bun. Just like the kind that’s available all over Taiwan. They called it the peppered bun too, but I don’t really see any more pepper than usual. So what makes this so special that people wait around for it? Well, the secret is in what the guy is reaching into.

They use a tandoor oven to cook these buns! There’s a guy that slaps them onto the side of the oven to let cook and harden, then comes back to scrape them off when done baking. The whole assembly line itself is a show actually. Very efficient and mouth-watering to watch.

The result is the bottom of the bun has a baked crust that’s also been seasoned by the sides of the oven. The insides are juicy and meaty. The top of the sesame bun also has a crispy flakiness to it. All in all, it’s the perfect bun.

It costs 45 NT per, which amounts to a buck fifty in American dollars. Geez, why would I ever go back to California now?

Hu Jiao Bin (peppered buns)
Eastern gate of RaoHe Street

Philippe’s and Cole’s: Battle for Dip Supremacy

Alex @mwp — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 19:07:56 +0000

There are two restaurants in Downtown LA that claim to be the originators of the French Dip. Both were established in 1908 and have histories as rich as the cities in which they lay their bricks on. Think about it, they were both selling french dipped sandwiches since they were going for a quarter each. Back when horse and rail were the only means of getting around LA (then confined to just a few miles instead of the massive urban sprawl it is today). Both claim the french dip was invented in 1908 in their restaurants, but it’s a matter that probably will never get settled. Actually, if two restaurants in LA invented this sandwich, why is it called the “French” dip then? Let’s just call it the beef dip sandwich for proprietary sake.

Enough about the history, more about the food. What is a beef dip sandwich anyway? It is in essence, a roast beef sandwich where the baguette which it’s served on is dipped into au jus (beef drippings from roasting). Then the sandwich is assembled with meat of choice and an optional slice of cheese. The juices in the bread make for a bit messier experience, but the flavors that come with it are so worth it.

Philippe’s:

Located in Chinatown, the restaurant has seen very few changes since its establishment in 1908. Back then, it was located adjacent to the original Union Station and has much of its storied history laid out in photographs on its walls. The store is a very throwback feel to the early 20th century: sandwich-making ladies still wear uniforms true to the times, there’s a classic candy counter, and they don’t take credit cards (because, well they just didn’t exist back in the day). My favorite thing here to get is a double-dipped lamb dip with jack cheese, side of coleslaw, and two lemonades. The seating is completely cafeteria style: open seating on long tables with a few booths on the sides. There’s a large TV in the center that’s a good place to catch Dodger and Laker games.

Their beef dips are juicy and delicious. Also well known in this store is their mustard, which has a very solid kick to it. Be careful not to overdo yourself on mustard your first time here. You will be crying for more lemonade, only to cry more when you see how small their 70 cent cups are.

Philippe’s – 1001 N Alameda St. – LA, CA 90012

Cole’s:

Cole’s is situated in the historic core of downtown LA at Sixth and Main. You can find images of their sign hung up when the streets all had rails running through downtown. It went through a lengthy reinvention of itself in 2007-2008 and now has opened its doors again to challenge Philippe’s for dip supremacy in LA. It’s managed by the 213 company, nightlife purveyors in the historic downtown area (they run popular watering holes Golden Gopher, Broadway Bar, and Seven Grand). Following in the style of those bars, the restaurant has a classic, roaring twenties style to it. Providing some separation from Philippe’s, Cole’s is a half bar, half dip sandwich restaurant combo. It opens later (til 2am some nights) and serves a wide variety of beers on tap from its bar. It’s crowds are not as insane as Philippe’s can get (mostly because parking in the area is non-existant), but later at night, the bar crawlers show up in droves for a tasty meal to go with their pint of Spaten.

Their prices are slightly higher than Philippe’s, but the existence of their saloon hours (3-7pm) even it out considerably. Half dips go for $4 and beers/wine are a dollar off or two for well drinks. They don’t have long tables here or sawdust on the floors. Seating is in comfortable, classic-looking booths or at the bar.

Au jus dip comes on the side instead at Cole’s (can be done at Philippe’s by request). They’re also known for their “atomic pickle” that comes with it. It must be pickled with chilies because it has a bit of a kick to it. Here I’ve decided that their best sandwich is the lamb sandwich with goat cheese.

Cole’s – 118 E. 6th Street – LA, CA 90014

Honestly, both dips were good and it’s hard to draw a line as to which is better. I think just about everyone would have to try for themselves. They’re also cheap meals, both less than $10. There’s no reason to not love either. Great simple meals with loads of history to boot!

Wikipedia on French Dips

Kogi: Biracial Tacos

Alex @mwp — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 01:52:56 +0000

So if you live in LA and enjoy going out, then you must have heard of Kogi by now. The mobile Korean-infused taco truck has become a sensational fad with hipsters, bar-goers, Yelp elites, and foodies all over Los Angeles looking for a late night snack with a twist. The twist? You gotta find it first. Kogi currently has two trucks in its fleet (Roja and Verde) and land every night Tuesday through Saturday at popular nightlife spots in LA (The Brig in Venice, Hollywood Bl., UCLA, etc.). Last year, I had my first Kogi experience when it just showed up on Ivar as I was leaving a club. The second and third times were just as random and I felt like the truck was following me around. I think that’s part of the charm/gimmick though. That you can come out of a bar and be jonesing for something to eat when *poof*, there it is!

Fortunately, Kogi makes things easy and can save you from doing a scavenger hunt all over LA if you visit their site or keep up with them on Twitter. This is a great example of how these new social web technologies can and should be used for business. They know their audience (savvy foodies) and get them the information that they search for (their location that you can’t get otherwise), and tell them nothing they don’t need.

This is a picture of the line outside the Golden Gopher on 8th St. in Downtown, Wednesday @ 10:30 P.M. I was bar hopping around downtown trying to find the perfect venue to have my birthday party and stumbled upon a gathering of over 20 people around 10. They all knew about Kogi and had formed a line before the truck even arrived. “Loyal followers” – literally.

Three tacos – Korean beef short rib, spicy pork, and BBQ chicken. They run for $2 each – a very reasonable price for a tasty late night snack. They’re good. I’m not sure if we’d think they’re as good if they were only served in a brick and mortar restaurant, but you have to hand it to them for delivering a good product in an outside the box way. The idea works.

Beginning this past Tuesday, the Alibi Room has also begun to offer Kogi in their kitchens every night. For those that don’t want to spot for the truck, this is where you can go to enjoy some Korean BBQ tacos. I went here on Thursday, and while it was still good, it’s just not the same when you’re not eating it from a truck outside a bar. The truck is just a HUGE part of its charm (plus it’s on the other side of town and the parking sucks; nice bar though).

The Alibi Room

12236 W Washington Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90066
(310) 390-9300

To keep up with the Kogi taco truck, visit their website here: http://kogibbq.com. You will find their locations and hours along with a photoblog of their nightly adventures.

A Night at the Museum

Alex @mwp — Tue, 24 Feb 2009 09:59:05 +0000

For many out there, the weekend begins on Thursday night. For one, it’s a good night to catch friends before they skip town for the weekend. Also, it’s when most bars and clubs break out cheap specials. In college towns, Thursdays > Fridays–always. In a small city like San Francisco, it’s primed for young professionals to make their way out to the bars. This Thursday night, it seemed like all those yuppies were at… the museum!?

Yes, all the young ladies and gents had made their way out to the newly remodeled California Academy of Sciences on this Thursday night. I had been wanting to visit since they remodeled last fall, but was scared away by the large crowds. Looking on their website, I found that they had just started a new weekly event–Adult Thursdays. From 6:00-10:00 PM, the science museum will be only open to 18+ patrons for $10. Since their normal operating days go for $25 and are most likely to include swarming children in every exhibit, this opportunity to visit the museum “after hours” can be a very welcome addition for the young adult crowd of San Francisco.

A bar in every exhibit

Upon arrival, I found the place very packed in its second week of running Thursday nights. It had a great vibe and a great San Francisco crowd, both equally intrigued by the exhibits and enjoying the lounge-like atmosphere. The center veranda was a social zone serviced by multiple bar tables and filled with mingling crowds. After a Jack and Coke, I was ready to expore the sights.

Tip: You should come early. The Walking Rainforest will stop people from going in after 8 and the Planetarium’s last showing is at 8:30. All the other exhibits seemed to stay open for the duration. Something I had to learn this time, unfortunately. The albino alligator “Todd” also was not in the house this night.

Walking down some stairs, I found myself in a busy aquarium full of exotic ocean animals and the people checking them out. Some interesting things here: Upside-down Jellyfish, eels, and starfish. There’s a tidepool exhibit, a deep dark sea exhibit, and two ridiculously large tanks housing all sorts of creatures. What I really enjoyed about this aquarium was that all the tanks seemed to be convexed or concaved for the viewer’s pleasure. This effect allowed you to feel like you’re about to walk right into the water or feel that the fish are coming right to you.

Off to the living roof! The room of the museum is a living garden of multiple species of plants. At night, it loses much of its meaning, as the darkness keeps you from enjoying the expansiveness of it all. Also, since it’s filled with adults under a starlit sky, the roof has a different vibe. It becomes a romantic retreat for couples to get away from the noisy crowds and have some intimacy under the stars.

Adults and kids both love these floor projector games

Back to the first floor now. Where is this loud techno/house music that I’m hearing coming from? The evolution exhibit is just bouncin’! Who ever thought a bunch of fossils, Galapagos Tortoises, and homo erectus would know how to have a party? An area here is cleared to make way for a dance floor complete with its own pro DJ. You have no idea how entertaining it is to see a mob of people under the influence dancing in a museum exhibit. Props to the museum heads for coming up with all these ideas for a great Thursday night. It makes for one exciting night out that’s also a different experience than we’re all used to.

Street parking can be a bit troublesome, so early arrival would be recommended if you don’t want to have to walk far. Bring friends to this event–you’ll all enjoy feeling like a big kid in this science museum.

Visit the museum website: http://www.calacademy.org/